Fanatics has partnered with IMG, the sports, events and talent management company, to launch Fanatics Events, a platform that will recreate the Comic-Con experience for sports collectibles.
Fanatics owns a majority stake in the business, which will start holding events in 2024, prioritizing sports collectibles before exploring other categories.
“The launch of our new Fanatics Events business provides an opportunity to celebrate all aspects of fandom—including sports, collectibles, memorabilia, fashion, music, and entertainment—under one physical roof in a way that has never been done before,” stated Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events. “These new touchpoints will reinforce our commitment to enhancing the overall experience for fans and collectors globally.”
Fensterman recently joined Fanatics from ReedPop, where he was president and led the pop culture arm of Reed Exhibitions that launched in 2009. Fensterman is a former industry bookseller, managing bookstores in Minnesota and Connecticut, and a former director of BookExpo America and New York Comic Con.
The agreement follows Fanatics’ push into sports collectibles signaled by its acquisition of Topps trading cards and collectibles arm in January, reportedly for about $500 million. The acquisition came less than half-year after Fanatics reached deals with the three major American sports leagues to produce sports cards.
In March 2023, Fanatics acquired PWCC Marketplace, which specializes in trading Cards, but also supports other collectibles markets.
The Fanatics Events’ launch is another move by the company to increase diversification from its core e-commerce business as it reportedly prepares for an initial public offering.
In late June, Fanatics agreed to buy PointsBet’s U.S. operations to build on its move into sports betting and digital casino operations. Last month, it held a second investor day in nearly a year with major firms such as Goldman Sachs and Barclays
